Associations of several indicators of patient characteristics and bridging schedules with each outcome measure
| (Reference category) | Age at baseline | Being female (male) | ACPA positivity (ACPA negative) | Oral GC bridging (no oral bridging) | Initial co-treatment with multiple csDMARDs (only MTX co-treatment) | Initial GC dose (effect per additional mg) |
| GC status after bridging* | ||||||
| 1 month | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) | 0.72 (0.44 to 1.18) | 0.93 (0.53 to 1.62) | Omitted | 2.86 (0.35 to 23.22) | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) |
| 3 months | 1.01 (1.00 to 1.02) | 1.21 (0.89 to 1.64) | 0.85 (0.63 to 1.15) | 11.93 (1.63 to 87.0) | 0.48 (0.13 to 1.78) | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) |
| 6 months | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) | 1.47 (1.02 to 2.11) | 1.28 (0.89 to 1.84) | 28.17 (1.88 to 421.30) | 0.20 (0.04 to 1.18) | 1.00 (0.97 to 1.02) |
| 12 months | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) | 1.11 (0.75 to 1.64) | 1.31 (0.89 to 1.94) | 12.61 (1.62 to 97.88) | 0.24 (0.03 to 1.75) | 1.00 (0.97 to 1.03) |
| 18 months | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02) | 1.54 (0.98 to 2.43) | 1.21 (0.78 to 1.88) | 11.49 (1.37 to 96.34) | 0.22 (0.03 to 1.59) | 1.00 (0.98 to 1.03) |
| Mean cumulative GC dose (mg) at | ||||||
| 6 months | −2 (−5 to 0.6) | 3 (−76 to 82) | 11 (−69 to 92) | 1416 (−84 to 2916) | −998 (−2745 to 749) | −2 (−27 to 23) |
| 12 months | 0.4 (−2 to 2) | 29 (−28 to 85) | −31 (−91 to 29) | 2036 (836 to 3236) | 484 (−1633 to 666) | 4 (−8 to 16) |
| 18 months | 1 (−4 to 6) | 25 (−136 to 185) | −50 (−217 to 116) | 1590 (−2616 to 5796) | −1905 (−5058 to 1247) | −1 (−46 to 43) |
| Continuous GC use† (%) within | ||||||
| 12 months | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.01) | 1.32 (1.02 to 1.72) | 1.07 (0.82 to 1.39) | 3.72 (0.70 to 19.77) | 0.29 (0.10 to 0.81) | 1.00 (0.98 to 1.02) |
| 24 months | 1.00 (0.99 to 1.01) | 1.19 (0.93 to 1.52) | 1.28 (1.00 to 1.65) | 3.98 (0.60 to 26.75) | 0.31 (0.12 to 0.81) | 1.01 (0.99 to 1.02) |
| Flare after‡ | ||||||
| First GC bridging stop attempt (%) | 1.01 (1.00 to 1.03) | 1.23 (0.81 to 1.88) | 0.93 (0.58 to 1.47) | 7.37 (0.85 to 63.90) | 0.71 (0.17 to 2.90) | 1.00 (0.98 to 1.03) |
| Flare after‡ | ||||||
| Stop attempt first GC course after bridging had ended | 1.01 (0.97 to 1.04) | 1.26 (0.45 to 3.57) | 1.36 (0.51 to 3.66) | Omitted | Omitted | 0.99 (0.93 to 1.05) |
| DMARD added after flare on stopping GC bridging (%) | 0.99 (0.94 to 1.04) | 0.30 (0.08 to 1.15) | 0.47 (0.12 to 1.81) | Omitted | 0.79 (0.08 to 7.74) | 0.94 (0.88 to 1.01) |
We evaluated associations with mixed effects regression analysis with study arm as random effect: linear mixed models for continuous outcomes, logistic models for dichotomous outcomes. Due to limited variation in the included groups and thereby collinearity, not all analyses provided results and those without results were therefore ‘omitted’.
All results reported as OR (95% CI) except mean cumulative GC dose which is reported as coefficient (95% CI). Bold text is expressing a significant result after correction for multiple testing.
*Months after the induction schedule and oral GC use.
†Defined as use for ≥3 months outside induction schedule and oral GC use.
‡Flare defined as: DAS28 increase >1.2 or ∆DAS28 > 0.6 if DAS28 at previous visit was ≥3.2.
ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; csDMARD, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; DAS28, Disease Activity Score based on 28 Joints; GC, glucocorticoids; mg, milligrams; MTX, methotrexate.